There is a large range of hand-held dental instruments available for the removal of supra and subgingival calculus, including ultrasonic devices, probes, explorers, curettes, sickles, hoes, files and chisels. Such hand-held dental instruments have long been known and are useful in connection with dental hygiene as well as diagnostic and restorative treatments.
The overall size of hand-held dental instruments has not changed significantly since their invention in the 1930's. The size of dental instruments was originally designed with a large handed person in mind, since most dental professionals were men. A clinician with larger hands could not fit his fingers inside the patient's mouth, so the handle and instrument end had to be longer. In this way, the professional could place his fingers on the exterior of the mouth to establish the fulcrum to work on the patient's teeth. Presently, larger sized instruments are not optimal for clinicians with small hands.
In recent years, dental practice has shifted toward an ergonomic focus. A few examples of ergonomic advancement in the dentistry field include new operator stool designs that include arm rests, magnification loupes that improve visibility while optimizing posture and new instrument handles with scoring patterns and larger diameter handles. Much has been written about cumulative trauma disorders (CTD), yet these injuries continue to be problematic for dental professionals. In some cases, despite costly and painful treatment, the pain and dysfunction return. CTD can affect daily life, from simple tasks like holding the telephone to recreational activities like gardening or knitting. CTD affects everything that requires good hand dexterity.
Cumulative trauma disorders include work-related musculoskeletal disorders, repetitive motion injury/disorders, and repetitive strain injuries. These injuries can affect the nerves, tendons, and neurovasculature of upper extremities and thus gravely impact the ability to practice in the dental field.
In particular, there is a high prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome among dental practitioners. Periodontal procedures, such as scaling and root planing, practiced by both dentists and dental hygienists, are among the high-risk tasks. Currently, non-powered hand instruments are still important in performing these tasks. Studies on instrument handle designs indicate that handles have a strong effect on operator performance and muscle stress. It is therefore crucial to design ergonomic hand instruments for dental professionals with small hands to reduce operator muscle load during dental procedures. Preferably, such instruments will be easy to pick up and use, and will include features to minimize fatigue and injuries when the instruments are in use.